Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?

Subject: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: Dunc
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 12:03 PM

I touched her on the toes
Thats my share
Thats my toe-a-trip and you can play there
Toe-a-trip I love my dear
The more I love my nigger drawn beer

Verses then repeat with
Knee... knee-a-knacker
???...funny thing
Navel...navel string
Breast... chest plate
Chin... chin and chops
Mouth... chatter box
Nose... snorter box
Eyes... lookers out
Head... louse trap.

Can anyone tell me who wrote it and the relevance of "nigger drawn beer"?
Its a good fun song to sing - but I always worry about causing offence with the use of the word "nigger".
Dunc

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: wildlone
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 01:17 PM

I know that beer is drawn from the wood and certain dark beers are called "nigger sweat".
Years past most brewery's would brew a winter ale that was darker than the summer ale's.
dave

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: nutty
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 05:26 PM

I believe its a Cornish song, collected by Peter Kennedy and still available on tape. For further info
CLICK HERE

It was also recorded by The Yetties ... so there may be more info in The Yetties Song Book .. hereclick

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Nov 01 - 05:39 PM

According to the Yettie's songbook, it is 'my nigger drawed near'. They noted the song, 'I Touched Her on the Toe', was collected by them from Walt Watts at the Digby Tap in Sherborne in 1968. They refer also to another version, 'Mathew the Miller', in James Reeves' 'The Everlasting Circle'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: Dunc
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 04:56 AM

Thanks for the info!
To change the words from
That's my share - The more I love my nigger drawn beer

to

That's my share - The more I love my nigger drawed near'

still leaves me wondering what the hell I'm singing about. :-)
Dunc

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 08:51 AM

I used to hear a singer I knew do a version of this. His words were:

toe... toe-a-tripper Knee... knee-a-knacker thigh... thigh-a-thacker ???...funny thing Navel...navel [pronounced to rhyme with "ravel"] string Breast... breast plate Chin... chin a' chopper Mouth... chatter box Nose... shnatter box Eyes... lookers out Head... louse house.

But he would sing "The more I love, my lover draws near."

He also identified the song as coming from Cornwall.

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: Dunc
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 12:12 PM

Cheers for that Don,
That sounds a far more acceptable ending to the verse.

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: breezy
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 05:06 PM

So we're still none the wiser, apart from my mate Dave Cooper back in the 7os sang 'my [k]nicker draw near.Then he got it as the Sherborne song from off the Yetties.What does a Yettie say? sing? fill your own blanks,

Subject: RE: Origins of THATS MY SHARE ?
From: wildlone
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 01:26 PM

Good Old Walt, I used to go into the "Tap" years ago, it was a real old spit and sawdust pub then and new people were often told "not to sit in that there chair" as it was Walts and he might be in any time now.
There would be music and singing and when Walt had had enough to drink he would sing HIS SONG.
Now the music comes from out of the wall and there is the merry sound of the argueing in the pool room, Tourists comee in to drink in a "real english pub"
I stopped going in when the walls were all ripped out and the Olde Worlde fitting went in.
dave